Travel Scholarships

Start School Later, Inc. is offering scholarships to school leaders and community advocates travelling to attend the national conference on Adolescent Sleep, Health, and School Start Times on April 27-28, 2017 at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC. We will reimburse up to $500 of documented conference fees, transportation, and/or lodging costs for each scholarship recipient. To receive compensation, selected recipients must submit a reimbursement form with acceptable documentation of expenses and proof of conference registration no later than May 31, 2017.

Applications received by January 10, 2017 will be considered for scholarships awarded on a funds-available basis, with priority given to applicants demonstrating need and the greatest ability to benefit their communities from conference attendance. Applications received after this deadline will be considered on a rolling basis depending on remaining funds and conference spaces.

About the Conference:This national conference is intended for school and community leaders interested in learning more about the science of adolescent sleep and the logistics of healthy school day start times.

Learning Objectives:The overarching goal of this national conference is to provide attendees with the most comprehensive and evidence-based resources on developmentally appropriate school start times. More specifically, at the completion of the conference attendees shall be able to:

Recognize the importance of sleep in adolescent health, safety, and functioning.

Understand the unique changes in sleep that occur during puberty, and the public health implications of early middle and high school start times.

Identify clear implementation guidelines for school districts that are considering adopting healthier and more effective bell times.

Featured Speakers:Charles Czeisler, PhD, MD, FRCP, Harvard Medical SchoolAnne Wheaton, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionJudith Owens, MD, MPH, Boston Children's HospitalKyla Wahlstrom, PhD, University of MinnesotaWendy Troxel, PhD, the RAND CorporationDaniel J. Buysse, MD University of PittsburghKenneth Dragseth, PhD, former superintendent, Edina (MN) Public SchoolsAmy Wolfson, PhD, Loyola University MarylandDeen Beebe, PhD, Cincinnati Children's HospitalPhyllis Payne, MPH, Sleep in Fairfax and Start School Later​Craig Canapari, MD, Yale School of MedicineTerra Ziporyn Snider, PhD, Start School Later​Background:While national health organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have strongly advocated for sleep health among adolescents, the vast majority of middle and high school students experience chronic and serious sleep debt which impacts their lives on a daily basis. Research has clearly shown that these sleep deficits are associated with the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in US teens, including increased rates of depression and suicidal ideation, health risk behaviors such as alcohol consumption and substance use, and driving crashes. The additional link between chronic sleep debt and such health risks as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes also contributes to what amounts to a public health crisis. Moreover, the well-established detrimental impact of sleep loss on academic and social-emotional functioning as well as on cognitive functions such as attention, memory retention, learning new tasks, and decision-making increases the individual and societal burden.Recognizing the strength of the evidence base and the urgent need for practical solutions to address this health threat, the AAP published a policy statement in 2014 recommending the adoption of healthy school start times (8:30 a.m. or later) for middle and high school students. In the past two years the CDC and the AMA have issued similar recommendations. While many school districts around the country have taken steps to move start times later and to create sleep healthy environments, the most recent CDC data (2011-12) reveal that fewer than 1 in 5 public middle and high schools start at times consistent with student sleep, health, and learning needs. There is a critical and urgent need to educate stakeholders, including the community of parents, school administrators, boards of education, teachers, and policy makers, about student sleep needs and patterns and to disseminate the scientific rationale for ensuring evidence-based bell times.. There is also a critical need to address both real and perceived challenges and barriers to implementing healthy school start times for individual schools and school districts, many of which are struggling in relative isolation to make changes in their communities. This conference will provide practical guidance and recommendations, offer a forum for sharing of ideas and experiences, and foster networking to a broad base of stakeholders. Together we can make a considerable contribution to the health of current and future generations.

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